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No fireworks

13 July 1996

A CHINESE Long March rocket successfully placed the Apstar 1A satellite
in orbit last week. The flight was the first launch in China since 15 February,
when a similar rocket crashed and exploded only seconds after takeoff.

The Apstar 1A satellite was built to replace Apstar 2, which was destroyed
when another Long March rocket exploded in January last year. The new satellite
is scheduled to start transmitting telephone and TV signals to southern and
eastern Asia in September.

Safety and launch procedures have been tightened at the Xinjiang launch site
since the crash in February. Six people died, according to official
reports, but
other sources say the death toll was higher.